Richmond family embraces Dustin Martin after contract adventure Peter Hanlon
The Age
February 5, 2014 Damien Hardwick wishes Dustin Martin's very public peek over the fence at other football paddocks hadn't happened, but is convinced the events of last September have strengthened for both parties the brilliant midfielder's standing in the Richmond family.
Speaking at the club's community camp in Warrnambool on Tuesday, the Tigers coach said Martin had been welcomed back ''with open arms'' after he eventually signed a new two-year contract, despite having tested the waters for a potential change of clubs.
The 22-year-old's Richmond days were thought to be over after he met with Greater Western Sydney and fielded interest from several clubs, including a late courting by Essendon.
''Do I wish it could have played out differently? Yes, I do,'' Hardwick said. ''Do I wish it could have not been as public? Of course I do.
''But you've got to understand, Dustin Martin to me and to our team is family, and family make some blues. But you certainly forgive and you forget also. We welcomed him back in with open arms.
''I think the thing that we found is it solidified where he was in our footy club. He could quite easily have gone, let's make no mistake about that, but he knew where he wanted to be. We spoke about this as the best place for his footy and the best place for us to go forward.''
At the height of the uncertainty over his future immediately after the Tigers' 2013 season ended in an elimination final loss to Carlton, Hardwick met Martin for a beer with assistant coach Danny Daly and teammate Aaron Edwards. The coach said it was a good reminder that footballers were on the whole young men who could feel uneasy about their place in a group.
''He's a terrific young fella, he's made enormous inroads,'' Hardwick said. ''He's a player I look at and think, jeez, this guy's 22 years of age. He's an incredible talent, and he's only going to get better. He's going to learn from his mistakes that he made through his last contract negotiation, he'll probably realise this is the place he always wanted to be. He'll learn some lessons along the way.''
Hardwick was bullish about Martin's approach to 2014, hailing his time trial performances and also his focus on improving his defensive game ahead of playing an increased role in the back half.
''He's run some times that we haven't seen from him before, he's learning some new skills,'' Hardwick said of a half-back role Martin trialled last season and is expected to see more of after interchange rotations were capped at 120.
The coach is also buoyed by the competition for spots in Richmond's best 22, praising recruiters Francis Jackson and Blair Hartley for delivering a list laden with ready-to-go talent. He would not be drawn on how many round-one spots were up for grabs, but hailed the club's depth as he enters a fifth season at the helm at Punt Rd.
''It's a crucial element in today's game - obviously we know it's a game of attrition - but we're really pleased with the players they brought in who are capable of playing footy straight away. Even to the point of last year, the 22, 23-year-olds that we've brought in have seamlessly worked their way through.
''[It's] hard to say [how many] spots, what we will say is, if you're playing well enough you're gunna get a game. Probably three years ago we had guys that we played because, regardless [of form], they were our best players. Now we've got depth in all positions and we feel that if a guy's playing well enough, they'll play.
''We haven't been in this position … we probably did have it last year, but we think we've improved again in that facet this year.''
Hardwick predicted there would be more tough calls made along the lines of leaving 10-year Tiger Nathan Foley out of last year's final against Carlton, but welcomed this as a sign of the club maturing.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/richmond-family-embraces-dustin-martin-after-contract-adventure-20140204-31zhg.html
